₦airaland Forum

Omenapounds:
450k or nothing...
Total shutdown on all government activities.

A senator earning 50m+ allowances does not cause inflation, but an average Nigerian worker earning 470k which is 106 times below what a senator earns per month is what will cause inflation.

Shut down the effing country.

Why is 470k unrealistic? Whats the minimum wage in western nations?
Are our senators not paid higher than their western counterparts?

Or are you saying Nigeria can afford to pay it's senators much higher than the UK prime minister but cannot afford a similar minimum wage?
Are you saying Nigerian presidential fleet has more private jets than UK, France, Germany e.t.c but we dont have money to pay similar salaries to those nations?

Goodenoch:
Now you can be sponsored as an accountant and work in everything from IT, retail, building, social media, project management etc as your supplementary job. It's a massive difference and I hope more people become aware so they can maximise the opportunity.

True, as the SOC list is wide and varied. I can see how that can help people get a sude income and build experience in different sectors which can prove valuable after ILR.
Most retail and 'easy to get' roles e.g bar tenders e.t.c are not eligible though.

bsafolabi:
Boss!!!
I'm also looking to buy a house in Manchester with my young family, M20, M15 and M16 is okay for young family but affordability be my problem. I'll go for M9 or M40 jeje because it's cheaper, family friendly and Niger vibes.
Equity appreciation wise Manchester is more better than Sheffield.... my opinion though.

Lemme ask, why are those areas cheaper?

Bourne007:
Interest-only can seem affordable but capital isn't shrinking. Repayment works out for me even though I'm paying more on a ltd co.

Yeah.. the issue is making the numbers work with the current rate hike and resilient property prices. In my environ, an old 3 bed semi would cost 250k and above and fetch rent of 1300 ish. Repayment mortgage is already pushing that sum thats without factoring other expenses. The way out is looking for much cheaper house but thry tend to have big issues

ReesheesuKnack:
Hello my very good friend, MissJekyll (&Hyde).
1. I’m happy for you that you got your money back. Biko, do giveaway for boys, mbok.

2. Do you still think Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is more Pro-immigration than the Tories? Imagine the ‘Shege’ migrants and immigrants are allegedly seeing in the Tory regime. Oga Starmer is suggesting that the Tories are not even tightening the immigration bolts & nuts enough. Oga Starmer is promising that he will tighten the immigration even more.

For now, it’s only the SNP that is promising to further open the immigration doors and throw the keys to the gate away, or even, demolish the gate completely.



Reference:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn331vd99lzo

People generally get too emotional about this immigration stuff. Immigration to the UK has never been about a lottery or diversity drive but largely about labour crunch and local need. The inability to formulate a longterm framework has led to these wide swings.

Every government has looked to reduce immigration for a while now. Guess what? Its easy. Just cap the number of sponsorship licenses to say 5000 a month and the annual cap becomes 60000. It can even be made 1000. Its that easy.
The hard part is what does the government do when there are a lack of farm workers, drivers, care workers, health workers e.t.c? Do they allow growth to be restricted, wages/prices to shoot up/mandate local folks to take up these roles or do they look for the universal cheatcode (i.e immigration)?
With all the abuse and surplus in the care sector, why is there still a care visa? Why can't a reasonable chunk of the 2.8m on longterm sick be supported to become carers. Can't a good chunk of those reading vague courses in Unis be shoehorned into healthcare roles so the UK doesn't need so many foreign nurses?

It is when the government faces the stark reality of these that they always turn to immigration - not out of want but need. The question is when next and what sector?

corpershun:
You are so right! Someone very dear and close to me called me yesterday to say they got a job offer of 80k£. He’s still in shock, he got tired of his current company after spending 18months and dusted his CV.

Me that wanted to dedicate 5years to my current company have been rethinking my decision.
If not for the childcare flexibility my company gives.

Note: He came in June 2021 as dependent on student visa and worked in warehouse for 6months to find footing

Good stuff. I think many folks (esp imigrants) can get too docile on a role without thinking about the next step, fall back options e.t.c

Dedicate kwa.. my main dedication is to my ethic. Would the company also show same dedication when they want to downsize or review pay?

I noticed that many times moving sensibly opens ones horizon and is the a cheatcode for cracking professional growth. While your initial employer would still be looking at you as a newbie years in, a new company may better appreciate and reward your talent.

I once bounced a company who were new to the whole process, were looking to sponsor me and cos of that had requested a UKVI sponsorship licence. They had taken things for a given as I had worked with them for a while. When I asked what the pay and fine terms they were being so vague and tight-lipped. At same time, I looked around and got a role with 15% more and visibly better terms. When their sponsorship licence came out and they asked me how far, I told them I dey waka.

idee91:
Greetings everyone,

What do you advise, I wanted to renew my rent contract, but Landlord is suggesting i don’t need to extend, as the contract automatically goes into a rolling contract after 12 months. Do you think I should insist on getting a new contract ?

Thats the norm. It might be better to let things roll as that would have been stated on your rent agreement. You still have similar protections.

Asking for a new contract gives the landlord an opportunity to rethink a rent hike and bring it in line with current market price. I know someone whose landlord issues a new contract every year with an attendant rent hike. The only advantage is that the landlord can't evict you while a fixed contract is running.

deept:
Consider tax implications of you setup BTL in personal names because you are liable for tax on your btl income. Assuming your are in the higher tax band say 40% you will pay tax 40% on the the entire rental income before mortgage payment. Mortgage used to be tax deductable until a few years ago.

You will usually be advised to set up BTL under a company then you can remove cost before before tax, corporation tax in this case. But you will still be liable for tax for whatever you pay yourself, I think the first 500£ is tax free.

Disclaimer: Consult a financial advisor for proper advise.

Hehe @the usual caveat.. most everyday folks looking to invest would not have enough to interest an advisor or even afford one.

A ltd co is the sensible way to go about it for most. I'm in the process of setting a property one up. Already, I'm often work as an independent contractor via a my ltd co hence the whole process is not new to me.

If the investment outlook is for the longterm, or to reinvest profits to build a decent portfolio, then BTL would work out much better for most. If one already has a main job hence not needing to dip in often then a ltd co offers many tax efficient means of deploying profits...

Bourne007:
Recently got a fixed rate of 4.66% for a period of 60 months, Duration of the loan: 35 years with TML. Hope this helps

Is this BTL?
If it is, is it repayment or interest only? Also personal or via ltd co?

My main considerations are the yield and margin between mortgage and rent. Around me, for basic BTL (i.e non-HMOs etc) it's about 4-5%.

Kukutente23:
I totally agree with Fashola and Shettima

The regional system when placed in the hands of Nigerians to run failed spectacularly under 6 years.

...

Good representation... where did you source it?

immortalcrown:
Do white people do something like this? I mean, do white bankers steal from the costumers of the banks?

Or, is Africa cursed with the most heartless people?

Yes they do and even more. Reason why there should be systems in place to prevent this.

Why should a single banker be able to do this? What are the checks and balances within the bank?

Nice.. but the design should be improved on. A 3-lane road should not have such a direct u-turn. It obstructs traffic and a road hazard

Congrats @ Santa2.

I'm wondering if anyone here is involved in BTLs. Mention if you have. I'm in the south and running some numbers but things are look steep with the current mortgage rates. I'm not keen at fixing for 5 years at this rate. Want to get some nuance and see what the average margin is.

I remember someone (deept I think) once mentioned a Nigerian in UK investment thread or something similar. It would be worth knowing what proper investment/income generating opportunities there are in both our homes (9ja and UK) moreso ones that are also suited to our demography. I've heard of folks who buy written off cars and fix and sell for a profit, also Nigerian stores e.t.c.

ehizario2012:
This is rather interesting, having to obtain a letter from primary employer before engaging in supplementary 20 hours work.

It appears optional not mandatory. Overall, I dont see much between this and the previous guidance on taking up extra work. Its still 20hrs and limited to select roles.

I wonder if UKVI knows how many hours of supplementary work folks do without asking HMRC (with consent) as I've heard about a good number of folks who exceeded the 20hr treshold quite a few times got their ILR smoothly. I can't recollect coming across anyone on a work visa (not students) who didn't get ILR cos they exceeded the limit. Obviously, things might change in future.

Lexusgs430:
Let's see how long after labour wins, before the coup starts within the labour party, then the whole country starts wanting them out too .......🤣😁

Hehe... na normal thing... The talk then may be how labour is unable to run an economy.
Once a 'usual' face is leader of the torries, the populace would pander to them again.

Resurgent2016:
The NHS will always be a bone in the throat of any government.

Currently, £1 of every £10 is spend on the nhs, far more than any sector.

The nhs probable worked well when the country had a young population and a fast growing economy. The population is aging, as a developed country it is unlikely to grow at a very fast pace, cost of medicare has gone up....something has to give.

Either make more services privatized or strip other sectors of funds to prop up the nhs

I see your point and agree with some. There is still good room to go though.
The NHS is fabulous but like any free service with an increasingly entitled populace, the expectation will keep rising exponentially. Its the reason why I'm cautious about the cliché of 'investment'. Not because its not needed but because that money has to come from somewhere which is all the more difficult in a slow growing economy. People talk about how UK productivity lags that of the US without factoring in underlying drivers of that.

For the first time since the end of the world war, there is real danger that a generation of Brits could be worse off than their predecessors. Many times, the government has turned to immigration to spur growth. But it's now at loggerheads with the populace. The next decade would be interesting to live through.

missjekyll:
Long term sick ehn, I had a 60 Yr old lady 3 yrs on the list for a hip replacement. She is in constant pain, Her GP has had to increase her pain relief to Regular morphine. She is now an addict because of the tories.
Tell me again about longterm sick. The 7.6 million on that waitlist are human beings. They can be treated and go back to work but sunackered doesn't want to hear about that.

It's easier to demonise the long-term sick.
I ve applied for Annual leave on July 5th. I ll be up all night at the election result watch party 🥳 🎉. #independenceday

Oh dear! Hopefully Labour would find the money to 'invest' (their new cliché) in the NHS.. Kudos on your campaign endeavours. I would make my mind up with time. Have other things to stress about now.

It's clear Labour would likely have the day. I'd be keen to see how they'd meet peoples expectations. I'd be particularly interested after the first two years as their initial get out of jail card (like PMB) would be '14 years of Tory failure'

missjekyll:
I wonder why despite all his racist ,cruel anti-immigrant policies, he keeps dropping like a lead balloon in the poĺls. Surely if it was a core concern , it would shift the voting intentions? There is no silent majority anywhere. What you see is what you get.

If the NHS goes back to 2010 standards tomorrow, Even i would vote tory.

Rishi was always going to have his work cut out. He was swimming against the tide. He's clutching at anything to save him but truth be said, he has brought some uncomfortable issues to the table e.g a longterm sick, deterrence to small boat crossings e.t.c most of which Labour has given catch phrases and people have glossed over cos 'the tories must leave'

Right from Windrush, to healthcare workers in the 60's/70s, to joining the EU/early 2000 wave, to stopping and restarting PSW visa, to Brexit and recently the care route, the UKs approach has been reliably circular. Get in immigrants when a crunch or low growth hits and then a complete 360 a few years later. It oddly seems to occur roughly every 8-10 years.

ehizario2012:
Does this PM Sunak not have any other campaign strategy apart from immigration? Ineptitude.

Hehe... it's election time and being seen as 'anti-immigrants' is a traditional vote winner. Very few Brits understand the intricacies of immigration. To many I encounter, non british white = taking my job/loweringmy pay.

I'm struggling to decide what party to vote for as like someone stated here, Labour and their 'change' is giving me Buhari 2015 vibes.

The anti-Tory wave has reached a fever high pitch (just like with Brexit) that very few are actually questioning what Labour would do differently on the ground- not just catch phrases.

Zahra29:
Very selective memory that you're conveniently displaying today with your mostly off- tangent post.

Most of what you call fact is simply your subjective perspective, and various people on this thread (not just me, "Suellalet" ) have expressed different views to you over the months.

Lol.

From 'you disparage Brits and Britain all the time' to "subjective perspective'. Its called chasing one's tail.
Next time, if you're making such an emphatic statement, it should be based on facts not emotions.

I'm done with this back and forth.

Zahra29:
Lol, it's "emotions " when I calmly disagree that the scan request was inappropriate, but it's not emotions when you for example have an illogical reaction, crying racism, whenever someone posts an article on a crime that has been committed by a Nigerian(s), even though it's factual.

You call it adhominem, but for me it's just calling out the whiff of hypocrisy in some of your comments. As an example, remember some of our earlier "engagements" lol back in 2022 in the wake of the dependants crackdown, when you declared that Brits are not educated/ interested in university education, were mostly lazy and that the UK needed immigrants more than the immigrants needed the UK?

Hehe... You seem to be conflating alot of people under my monicker.
Go back to replies when there were frequent posts 'educating' us on wrongs done by Nigerians in the UK. I did not cry racism. I illustrated that wrong can be done by all and today we have much less of those.

The level of tertiary education in the UK is today well higher that that of Nigeria. That's a fact. Very few Brits would pay 18k out of pocket for a masters degree. That is another fact. You need to take your grouse up with whoever made the 'lazy' comment as you've got me confused.

Need not want - this is my bread and butter. That was a statement the deputy head of GMC made when I came for my exam. I simply quoted this. At the time I questioned it but several years in, with each passing day I see the very truth in that.
As I have said for the umpteenth time, no immigrant is here on a diversity visa or via a lottery. As far back as the windrush arrivals, every pathway for legal immigration (aside sporadic refugees) were based on need and the British public has very publicly demanded the exit of migrants when need was met even if it came at the risk of economic self harm (cue: Brexit).
The recent post study visa review and even early marketing of it by Suella makes it clear. Every legal pathway is made open because someone convinced the government that Britain would benefit more by letting folks in than keeping them out. Guess what? I have little issue with that, always point the driver out and can give multiple instances where I have witnessed it. I am still struggling to see where 'I regularly disparage the UK'

TheUnburnt:
That means my GP won’t charge me if I ask for an MRI or CT scan? I don’t feel well.

I’m asking because I’ve been paying for my prescription despite the IHS fees I paid before relocating to the uk.

Aside some exempt groups (e.g children, adults on benefits, older folks...) everyone else pays a given sum for their NHS prescription irrespective of the cost of the medication. This was introduced years back to help with funding. If on regular medications, you could look at getting a prepayment certificate which is a periodic sum and could work out cheaper if you certain number of meds frequently. Alternatively, you could ask your practice to make your script run for 2 months

Regarding requesting for investigations, it shouldn't be offered to you based solely on the grounds that you requested. If you have an issue then you could book an appointment with your GP who'd discuss this with you and what means to proceed with investigations (if required). If you're keen on a CT or MRI, its worth mentioning it there and your doctor would be able to say why or why not.

If you feel acutely unwell outside hours (and you think its serious enough it can't wait for your GP), then its 111 or A&E where virtually same process applies but in a tailored version.

TheUnburnt:
Please gurus in the house,
Does IHS cover for MRI and CT scans?

It's an additional tax/levy and covers any service or treatment under the NHS.

It's also used to pay for a salary increase for all government workers.

lavida001:
Absolutely….Most of the corporations in the uk are American owned also Heard that Heathrow is partly owned by the Qataris.

Indians GDP has also surpassed that of England for the first time. They really need to fix up if they want to remain globally relevant.

Well what do I know I am just going to mind my African business.

Abosolute GDP doesn't say much when comparing different sized nations. GDP per capita is a better metric. Better still when adjusted e.g fir PPP. Wouldn't bother much about who owns a heavily regulated local infrastructure which the govt can easily seize on 'national security concerns.

All said the UK would be among the top 5 destinations Nigerians seeking to emigrate all things considered i.e economy, secularism, ease of integration etc. My grouse was the hypocrisy behind the 'seeking utopia' jibe when those who decided on their brain and grit to immigrate here now consider options elsewhere. Loads of local British folks move to other nations in search of greener pastures. Many even seek to retire in Europe or Asia. No one comes to mock their motive.

Viruses:
Thank you for this suggestion. The risks you highlighted are my worries also.

Any opinions on the other two ideas (overpay current mortgage or save for BTL instead)?

Considering a loosely similar approach but gone more with the later.

Ultimately it boils down to what interest rate you have on your mortgage, how long is left on the fixed period and what the numbers from you local btl market (if looking locally) stack up to.
The end numbers from BTL aren't so juicy as many think. Its main advantage is still being the ability to leverage. An index fund either in a pension or ISA may provide good returns with much less hassle than a BTL

Zahra29:
Oh please.

You shared your own view that the request for a CT scan by Lexus for his young son, who had been seen by A&E for a head injury, was basically inappropriate use of NHS resources. You disparage Brits and Britain all the time, so it's a bit rich coming from you lol

And as to the bolded, you are very mistaken if you think I'm trying to convince "folks" to remain in the UK. Of what value is it to me? Do they pay taxes or other benefits to me? Do I run a care agency?🙄 I have stated several times that "bon voyage, all the best" to anyone who bashes the UK and thinks the US or Nigeria or anywhere is better, but as per usual you're very selective in your reading.

For the first part it's worth revisiting the string of conversations with Lexus this time keeping emotions by the door and telling me what part you have an issue with.

For the second paragraph its called adhominem. But out of curiosity, please give me examples of how I 'disparage Brits and Britain all the time'

lavida001:
The GDP of Uk is just a quarter of that of the states. I will pick the states over Uk but na just the gun violence dey discourage me.

The nominal GDP difference is not so remarkable but when broken down and compared in more relatable terms, it becomes stunning. One is a past empire the other is the world economic powerhouse for over a century. The snapshot by an FT article threw this into the limelight again.
The US practically saved the UK from collapse a number of times and Britains foreign policy for sometime has been likened by some to just asking what America wants and doubling down on it e.g with Huawei

The US obsession with guns is troubling but the wider effect is largely exaggerated.

fatima04:
Even this US sef, I dont trust the data joor. I know people say high salary, low taxes etc. but it also depends on the sector and you can be laid off with nothing to fall back on.
Just the other day, i googled and saw that min wage in houston was 7.52 dollar/hr, my friend there said it doesnt matter jare but then whats is the metric for measuring the living standrad if we dont start with min wage. I now get why tipping culture is a big thing, because how person wan take survive on that.

Also same houston or texas generally have cheaper houses but high property tax that run through the tenure of your mortgage

Hehe. You are beginning to sound like a professor who told me not to leave Nigeria because I had a 'permanent and pensionable' civil service job and the grass was not greener in the UK. I told him Sir, we would find out. When I got my first UK job, I was so scared of 'taxes' that I called a colleague and asked hiw far? This thing go balance so? Chap told me oboi forget wetin dem write for motor enter motor. Ultimately, it was not a conversation to be had. Few months later, I looked at my reasoning process and laughed


I dont want to delve into boring details about comparing the UK to the US. A recent FT article did a good job of that. In financial terms, comparing both is like comparing the UK to Lithuania. Folks can succeed anywhere (even in the Sahara) but yes, the grass is some times greener elsewhere.

Zahra29:
....

And yes, I'm speaking from experience. I have heard several people discuss on how they have the right to a full MOT on demand because they've paid for the IHS and should use it, and advise how to fake symptoms so they are given the tests. I had to caution that that's not what the NHS is for - it can't cater to everyone who wants a full body check (unless you are in an identified risk group) because they heard so and so dropped dead unexpectedly. That's what private checkups are for.

I wonder how you decide what the NHS is for and not. They paid for it through taxes, IHS and talent and deserve any suitable service on offer.

Even if every immigrant in my county turns up requesting an MOT review (whatever that means), thats at most a few days work. I'd rather spend my afternoon discussing someones concern around prostate cancer e.t.c thank deal with most of the entitlement I see.
Entitlement is calling the ambulance out over 100 times a year aside numerous interventions by other services and turning around to say they are useless and have done nothing. Its 20 yr olds asking for a clinical visit because they can be fussed to get a taxi. It is the person who frequents the pub looking to be registered as 'housebound' so they can get home visits..It is calling 111 by 4am because youve sh*t yourself and want 'these people wipe up folks' to be sent to your house at 4:30am and when asked about your daughter that lives 5 mins away, you reply oh.. I wouldn't want my daughter to do such. It is the fact that admissions into paediatric wars for mental health associated issues now rival acute medical issues. Or 5 people being paid for all day to force feed a child that has refused to eat. I can go on and on. It is not about immigrants who barely know the service. Its interesting the number of immigrants (including those working in the NHS) who have not even registered at a GP several years in.

Lastly, I find it intriguing that while you appear in the forefront of disparaging immigrants, oddly, you are also keen to convince same folks that they wouldn't fare better elsewhere. Its like an abusive person looking to convince their partner not to leave as the next person might be worse. Very interesting.

lavida001:
I have a question.

How do we replicate this Youna brilliant insights in Nigeria.

Its a difficult one but in my experience, we struggle with a number of things. Two main ones being accountability which is evident across board and secondly building resilient systems.

Kano state at the turn of the century eliminated the token (less than 200 I believe) pregnant women pay for maternity services and that alone increased the number of pregnant ladies attending hospitals by several tens of thousands with a good drop in mortality. The cost at the time was stated to be less than what it would have cost to build a bridge. Affordable and qualitative healthcare is one way states should drive things.

Zahra29:
Not really a crisis because at least there are doctors and nurses from many countries queuing up to work in the NHS. Your concern should be directed at the huge care gaps these professionals are leaving behind in their home countries, where even newly trained doctors and nurses are looking to japa at the earliest opportunity.

I agree with the bolded, but the solution is not to privatise the NHS.

It's the recognition of this crises that has brought about the NHS longterm workforce plan which among other aims to double the number of local med grads by 2031. Funding this is another issue.

jedisco:
The NHS is pushing on today cos its absorbing many doctors and nurses from abroad (at a point even exceeding local grads). There are local and international effects of that. Your free healthcare has far reaching consequences.

Exactly part of the reason I wrote the quoted post above. Free healthcare has to be met with the realisation that expectation and 'misuse' would ballon with time. Hence and if there is no equivalent increase in funding and workforce improvement, problems would occur. The inability to envisage and address this is the reason why the NHS is the political talking point today. The altruistic sounding free care has also caused significant drain of human capital from the outer world. Which is also something the govt and WHO recognise and seek to regulate.

Lexusgs430:
Exactly, we are saying the same thing, but in different languages......... I would happily fall within that grey area........ 🤣😂

Hehe